Updating Operating System on older Mac

ceejunior301 wrote:

I have a MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013) model. Currently running Mac OS High Sierra version 10.13.6. I am trying to get some parental controls on the computer but it is saying that I need version 10.15 or later but I do not see that as an update option. Is there any fix for this?

ref: macOS installer backups:

How to download and install macOS - Apple Support

You can certainly update a 2013 MacBook Pro to Catalina. In fact, I believe that model maxes out at Big Sur.

What happens when you search for Catalina in the App Store? If not coming up, here are direct links that ought to work:

Catalina - https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/macos-catalina/id1466841314

Big Sur - https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/macos-big-sur/id1526878132

Note that if you upgrade to Catalina or Big Sur,

• 32-bit applications will stop working
• iTunes will go away, replaced by separate applications (Music, TV, Podcasts, Books) and the Finder
• You will be able to run current versions of the FireFox Web browser, LibreOffice, and the commercial Affinity V2 programs (Photo, Designer, Publisher)

However, Big Sur is not one of the "most recent three" supported by vendors like Adobe and Microsoft.

ceejunior301 wrote:

Will I still have my pictures and stuff? I don't really use iTunes I dont think but I dont want to lose my photos

You should still have your photos and your music.

There might be some sort of automatic upgrade to the format of your libraries, the first time that you ran Photos after the upgrade, or the first time you ran Music or TV, after the upgrade.

It's just that after the upgrade,

• You would access your music and music videos using the Music application.
• You would access your TV shows and movies using the TV application.
• If you wanted to access the iTunes Store, you'd do that from the Music application.
• If you needed to load any of this content onto an iPhone/iPad/iPod over a USB cable, or needed to reset an iPhone or iPad, you'd do that using a sidebar application in the Finder.

Another way to check for 32-bit software.

• Run the System Information application ( > About This Mac > System Information…, or just look in the Utilities folder).
• Click on the Applications item in the sidebar, and wait for the system to build the application list.
• Click on the Kind heading to sort the list by 32-bit vs 64-bit. I believe that in High Sierra, the list may use labels like "32-bit (Intel)" and "64-bit (Intel)" – whatever the exact wording, it should be obvious enough.

you can not DIRECTLY obtain that software from the Mac App store, because it is "put away" so users will not download it by accident.

but if you use the links in that article, and your Mac is qualified, it can be found for you.

Remember that Catalina is on the other side of the restriction that Apps must be 64 bit apps, and many older titles can not run after you install Catalina.

you can use go64 to identify them ahead of time

https://www.stclairsoft.com/Go64/index.html

.

that model appear to be able to run MacOS 15, Catalina.

How to download and install macOS - Apple Support